Title: Richard Larsen Papers, 1971-1972, 2022

ID: OGLMC254

Primary Creator: Larsen, Richard F. (1936-2022)

Extent: 0.25 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/1973

Subjects: Politics and Government - Elections, Politics and Government - North Dakota Governor, Politics and Government - Republican Party

Languages: English

"Richard F. Larsen (Dick), a longtime resident of Santa Monica, California, passed away on August 27, 2022. Born in North Dakota in 1936, the son of Ralph and Ella (Lundby) Larsen, he was raised in Grand Forks where he enjoyed playing hockey, baseball, and spending summers on his grandparents’ farms. Following graduation from Central High School, Dick attended Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Between his sophomore and junior years he had the honor of serving his country in the United States Army. Dick returned to Harvard where he graduated cum laude in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. While in college, Dick fortuitously went on a blind date with Christine Ellen Frawley, who would become his wife and partner of more than 52 years. Dick continued his education at the London School of Economics where in 1963 he earned his Ph.D. in agricultural economics.

Upon receiving his doctorate, Dick returned to North Dakota where he taught at the University of North Dakota and Moorhead State University. He also served in the North Dakota House of Representatives and North Dakota Senate before becoming the State’s 30th Lieutenant Governor in 1969. In 1973, Dick was appointed by United States Secretary of the Treasury, George Schultz, to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Developing Nations Finance in the Office of the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs. His work included oversight of the U.S. role in the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and Asian Development Bank; coordination of inter-agency policy within the National Advisory Council; and handling debt negotiations with international banks and the U.S. Congress.

Following government service, Dick joined Bank of America where he served as a Vice President and a member of the management team for B of A’s North American Division. He later joined Russell Reynolds & Associates in Los Angeles as a Vice President, where he was responsible for executive search work in the corporate and public sectors. Dick then opened and became a partner in his own management consulting firm where he worked until he finally decided to trade his business suit for a fedora.

Although Dick traveled globally, his real love was North Dakota. Throughout his life Dick maintained close ties with family and friends in the eastern part of North Dakota, where he returned frequently to participate in the management of his family farms. He was humble, unassuming, and had the enviable ability to connect with anyone.

Dick is survived by his son Reidar (wife Janet), daughter Maia (husband Michael); grandchildren Reid (wife Jessica), Ella, and Matthew; great-grandson Rowan; and cousins Mary Beth (husband Carl Peter), and Alan (wife Donna). He was preceded in death by his wife, Christine, on December 7, 2013; sister, Lovina, and nephew Robert. A private burial will be held at the Turtle Mountain Lutheran Cemetery in rural Souris, North Dakota."

Source: Grand Forks Herald, 3 September 2022

Politics and Government - Elections
Politics and Government - North Dakota Governor
Politics and Government - Republican Party

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Donald G. Jacobs

Preferred Citation: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections. Chester Fritz Library. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid input to Archon in September 2022.